Connect with us

Alabama

Dissecting Jordan Battle’s value to Alabama football’s defense

Published

on

Dissecting Jordan Battle’s value to Alabama football’s defense


Alabama soccer security Jordan Battle didn’t have to remain for his senior season. 

He might have left after his junior 12 months. He had put collectively sufficient highlights to be a high-round 2022 NFL Draft choose.

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller was discussing different prospects on the Senior Bowl in February with The Tuscaloosa Information. Then he introduced up Battle’s title, unprompted.

“Jordan Battle didn’t come out, and I actually favored him,” Miller stated. “That’s all the time the stunning stuff with (coach Nick) Saban. The opposite linebacker (Henry To’oTo’o) as properly and Jordan Battle return to highschool. Had they arrive out, we might have a pair extra Bama guys we’re raving about.”

Advertisement

As an alternative, Battle is again and it will likely be his third season as a starter. He has an opportunity not solely to enhance his draft inventory but in addition get his diploma in December and win a School Soccer Playoff championship.

“That’s simply one thing that goes with the Bama customary, coming to Bama,” Battle stated throughout spring apply. “That’s what’s instilled in you. You wish to win, and in case you don’t win, you’re nonetheless hungry. You’re hungry for extra. I believe that’s the principle factor of the choice to come back again for us individually.”

RUNAWAY TRAIN:‘Do not assume they wish to be traded’: LSU soccer’s Brian Kelly warns towards contracts for gamers

15 YEARS OF NICK SABAN:Rejoice Nick Saban’s 15 epic seasons at Alabama soccer with our particular guide!

Edge defender Will Anderson Jr. is often the primary member of the protection mentioned, and rightfully so. He may need received the Heisman Trophy had it been not a lot an offensive award this century. Anderson completed with 34.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks in 2021.

Advertisement

Battle also needs to be included in conversations about crucial items on the protection. Look no farther than his numbers.

He was fourth in tackles (84) and tied for first in interceptions (three), however extra particular statistics that Professional Soccer Focus tracks present simply how priceless Battle is to the protection.

Tackling

At security, Battle’s skill to be a dependable tackler was essential on the again finish of the protection.

Whether or not it’s making a deal with to cease a runner on the line of scrimmage or chasing somebody down within the open subject, Battle has been a priceless playmaker for defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

For instance, on second-and-17 within the third quarter of the Iron Bowl, Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter took a flat move and knifed by the protection. Battle chased him down and tackled him from behind as Hunter was sprinting towards the top zone.

Advertisement

Battle missed solely 8.5% of his deal with makes an attempt this previous season, per PFF. That ranked seventeenth amongst Alabama defenders, one of many lowest of any of the regulars within the beginning lineup.

Move protection

Alabama defensive back Jordan Battle (9) celebrates his interception of a Mississippi State pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Positive, Battle’s three interceptions and two returned for touchdowns actually mirror properly on his playmaking skill. He had two towards Mississippi State and the well-known Air Raid offense. His different return for a TD was  within the SEC Championship Recreation towards Georgia. These, nonetheless, are just a few performs over his 964 snaps.

Battle was focused 33 occasions in 2021, permitting 19 receptions. That is an allowed catch-rate of 57.6%.

That ranked fourth lowest amongst Alabama gamers with at the least 100 snaps and was the very best amongst defenders who began the season.  

Right here’s yet another stat for Battle and it’s a superb signal for his probabilities within the NFL. The NFL passer score registered towards him was 57.6, per PFF.

Just one teammate had a decrease quantity: Jalyn Armour-Davis at 52.3.

Advertisement

Nick Kelly covers Alabama soccer and males’s basketball for The Tuscaloosa Information, a part of the USA TODAY Community. Attain him at nkelly@gannett.com or observe him on Twitter: @_NickKelly





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Alabama

Walmart recalls popular product sold in Alabama, 1 other state for ‘possible spoilage’

Published

on

Walmart recalls popular product sold in Alabama, 1 other state for ‘possible spoilage’


For anyone thinking of cooking up warm soup to stave off the winter cold, there’s an important recall you need to know about.

Walmart has recalled 12,000 units of Great Value Chicken Broth sold in 48-ounce cartons in two states – Alabama and Arkansas. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the recall is due to the “potential for packaging failures that could compromise the sterility of the product, resulting in spoilage.”

The products have a best if used by date of March 25, 2026 with lot code 98F09234. They were sold in aseptic paper cartons and a total of 2,023 cases or 12,138 cartons were included in the recall.

The broth was produced by Tree House Foods Inc. of British Columbia.

Advertisement

The FDA did not assign a risk level to the recall and did not report any incidents involving the products.

People with the broth should return it to Walmart for a refund.

.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Alabama

What Nate Oats called ‘a disaster’ in Alabama win over South Carolina

Published

on

What Nate Oats called ‘a disaster’ in Alabama win over South Carolina


Alabama men’s basketball won somewhat comfortably against South Carolina.

Plenty went right in the 88-68 victory over the Gamecocks on Wednesday in Columbia, South Carolina. Alabama shot 55%, outrebounded the Gamecocks, saw the bench outscore South Carolina 39-4 while scoring more points in the paint, fast break points and 3-pointers.

But there was something with which Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats was displeased.

Free throws.

Advertisement

“Would have been better if we made some free throws tonight,” Oats said. “That was a disaster for us. But everything else … It was good enough to win tonight.”

Alabama finished 10-for-20 (50%) from the charity stripe, which was the lowest total of the season so far. The previous low was 51.4% against Kent State late in December.

Not a mark Oats wants, but it didn’t make a difference in the game. All the other ways Alabama scored, particularly in the first half, made free throws a non-factor. As a result, No. 5 Alabama (13-2, 2-0 SEC) beat South Carolina (10-5, 0-2).

“First road game for us in the SEC,” Oats said. “I thought our guys answered the bell pretty well.”

The free throws might have been a disaster, but there was plenty else that Oats liked. That includes the defense, which limited South Carolina to .971 points per possession.

Advertisement

“I thought our defense was significantly better for the whole 40,” Oats said.

Oats specifically praised the efforts of Mo Dioubate. He finished plus-19 while matched up mainly against Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina’s leading scorer and a likely first-round NBA Draft pick.

“I thought Dioubate did a great job guarding him,” Oats said. “He really impacts the game in a big way,” Oats said.

Boyles-Murray tallied six points, four of which came from free throws, while finishing 1-for-6 from the field. He also had two turnovers.

“We got a lot of good efforts from a lot of people,” Oats said. “Good road win for us.”

Advertisement

Next up, Alabama will face No. 10 Texas A&M on the road on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN)

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.





Source link

Continue Reading

Alabama

Alabama Basketball Demolishes South Carolina in First SEC Road Game

Published

on

Alabama Basketball Demolishes South Carolina in First SEC Road Game


No. 5 Alabama men’s basketball won its first SEC road test over South Carolina 88-68 on Wednesday evening in relatively easy fashion.

One big reason for this being a must-see matchup was due to the reunion with former Alabama and current South Carolina forward Nick Pringle, who was a part of the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run last season. Alabama head coach Nate Oats said during Tuesday’s press conference that like most players facing their former team, Pringle will likely tell the Gamecocks about the Tide’s play style to try and gain an advantage well ahead of tipoff.

However, this was not the case early as Alabama cruised to a commanding 45-28 halftime lead. Crimson Tide Preseason All-American guard Mark Sears quickly lived up to that status as he started the game 6-of-7, with 16 points including 4-of-4 on attempts from behind the arc.

Sears’ effort certainly rubbed off on the rest of the team in the first half as Alabama’s 60 percent from the field (18-of-30), including a 6-of-11 clip from downtown. In addition to 13 assists, the Tide also grabbed six offensive rebounds, which led to seven second-chance points, scored 22 points in the paint and recorded five steals and three blocks.

Advertisement

Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi and conference-leading three-time SEC Freshman of the Week Labaron Philon also had a very solid first half on both ends of the floor to help contribute to the massive lead.

The start to the second half was a bit slower for Alabama, as after a poor play, Oats took out the entire starting five. One of the replacements was guard Aden Holloway who scored seven straight points for Alabama to regain the Tide’s momentum and build a more comfortable 56-39 lead with 15 minutes to go in the second half.

The importance of depth played a role in this one as Holloway led Alabama to 36 bench points while the Gamecocks had four. Furthermore, South Carolina’s secondary group didn’t score a bench point until there were less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

From there on, both teams traded buckets, but Alabama’s tremendous start kept the Tide composed and Gamecocks unable to make a massive comeback. Even when Alabama had scoring droughts, its defense prevailed in making sure South Carolina didn’t chip away. Forward Grant Nelson played a key role here as Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles, SC’s leading scorer coming into the game, finished 1-of-6 from the field.

In short, Alabama’s first half was significantly better than the second, but the Crimson Tide’s defense in the latter portion of the night made the offensive performance not matter as much. Of course, consistency in both halves will be important for the rest of the gauntlet of an SEC slate.

Advertisement

Alabama improves to 13-2 (2-0 SEC) while South Carolina slides down to 10-5 (0-2 SEC).



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending